Isobaric Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium for Acetone + Methanol + Phosphate Ionic Liquids

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) at atmospheric pressure (101.3 kPa) for the binary systems of acetone + methanol, acetone + phosphate ionic liquids (ILs), and methanol + phosphate ILs, and for the ternary system of acetone + methanol + phosphate ILs are measured using a circulation VLE still. The phosphate ILs include 1,3-dimethylimidazolium 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate ([MMIM]­[DMP]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethylphosphate ([EMIM]­[DEP]), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dibutylphosphate ([BMIM]­[DBP]). The addition of these phosphate ILs to the azeotropic acetone + methanol system results in a salting-out effect on acetone and makes the azeotropic point disappear. The relative volatility α₁₂ of acetone over methanol increases with increasing molar fraction of ILs. The equilibrium data were well fitted by the electrolyte nonrandom two-liquid model (e-NRTL). Compared with some reported ILs previously such as pyridinium hexafluorophosphate, imidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate and imidazolium dicyanamide, such imidazolium phosphate ILs are fluorine-free, are prepared more simply with lower cost, and make the azeotropic point disappear at less added amount of ILs. This work shows that such phosphate ILs are a class of potential solvents to separate azeotropic acetone + methanol system